emio

Is Nintendo Making A Horror Game?

6 Comments | emio, Horror, nintendo, video games | By | | 2 minutes of reading

Nintendo has long been the king of unpredictability, but today’s behavior defied all possible predictions. A short video went live this morning hyping an unannounced game with the title “Emio.” The twist? It looks creepy. Unsettling. Possibly M-rated even! No campy Luigi’s Mansion style spooks here. This is a horror game.

The teaser lasts just 15 seconds, and depicts grainy, shaky footage of a man standing still with a bag over his head. A crude smile is drawn on the bag. Aside from some off-key music, that’s about all there is to go on. But this isn’t exactly the next Mario Party.

We realize it’s not unprecedented for Nintendo to publish horror titles. Everyone knows about Eternal Darkness on the Gamecube and Fatal Frame on the Wii. But these things were second and third party products, ideas brought forth by the studios who made them, not Nintendo themselves. By contrast, all indication seems to be that “Emio” is coming straight from Nintendo, as a first-party game.

The Kanji displayed in the video, and the thumbnail above, means “Smiling Man,” which by no coincidence is “emio” in Japanese. It’s worth pointing out that Bloober Team, developers of the Silent Hill 2 remake and the Layers of Fear series, recently signed with Nintendo to work on a secret project. This’d be right in their wheelhouse.

At this time, not much is known about this game. We’ll pass along more information as we get it. In the meantime, sleep tight.

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Avatar of KelbyKelby19
KelbyKelby19

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230 messages 12 likes
#1 Jul 11, 2024

Finally! Nintendo dipping their toes into the horror genre is the news I've been waiting for. Let's face it, their family-friendly stuff is great, but it doesn't exactly get your heart racing. This "Emio" project, though? From the unsettling teaser alone, I can tell they're going for something genuinely creepy. The whole "Smiling Man" thing? Yikes. That's nightmare fuel right there. And the connection to Bloober Team, the folks behind Layers of Fear? That just adds to the excitement. They know how to craft a good scare. Here's hoping "Emio" lives up to the hype.

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Avatar of DeBrito24
DeBrito24

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33 messages 1 like
#2 Jul 11, 2024

Nintendo doing horror? This changes the game entirely! The "Emio" teaser definitely sent shivers down my spine. That whole "Smiling Man" thing with the bag over the head? Nightmares for weeks, for sure. It's interesting that they're going this dark. Nintendo's always been the family-friendly king, but maybe they're looking to expand their audience. And the Bloober Team connection? That adds another layer of intrigue. Those guys are masters at crafting unsettling atmospheres. I can't help but wonder what kind of horror experience Nintendo has in mind. Will it be a psychological thriller that messes with your head, or something more action-oriented with jump scares galore? Either way, I'm here for it! It'll be fascinating to see how Nintendo takes a classic genre and puts their unique spin on it.

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Avatar of Locke
Locke

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224 messages 10 likes
#3 Jul 11, 2024

Dude, you remember Fatal Frame 5? Still salty they never brought it out here for the Switch. Nintendo was all about keeping things family-friendly, which, I get it, but come on! There's a market for grown-up scares too. Especially with that creepy "Camera Obscura" stuff. Here's hoping "Emio" isn't another case of that. Fingers crossed it's not just a Japan thing

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Avatar of Karin Spark
Karin Spark

I show you the divide in our class

207 messages 5 likes
#4 Jul 11, 2024

The visuals in that "Emio" teaser are definitely worth discussing. The grainy, shaky camera creates a very unsettling atmosphere. It makes you wonder what the actual game will look like in terms of graphics. Will it lean towards a more realistic style, or maintain that stylized horror vibe? Nintendo is known for their ability to blend beautiful visuals with engaging gameplay, so it'll be interesting to see how they approach the horror genre in this way. Hopefully, they'll release some proper screenshots or trailers soon to give us a better idea.

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Avatar of Kinetic_Hype_Train02
Kinetic_Hype_Train02

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220 messages 11 likes
#5 Jul 11, 2024

Back in my day, we had stuff like "Haunted Castlevania" and "Clock Tower" on the NES. Those games were genuinely creepy, even with their blocky graphics. Wonder if "Emio" will capture that same kind of spooky atmosphere? It's interesting to see Nintendo going for something more mature. Back then, they were all about the bright colors and happy characters. But hey, the gaming landscape has changed a lot. Maybe there's a market for a good, old-fashioned horror experience on the Switch.

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GirlfromMars

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178 messages 15 likes
#6 Jul 11, 2024

Hope its fixed camera! Remember the pre-rendered backgrounds in classics like Resident Evil or Silent Hill? The way they created a sense of mystery and dread? First-person can be immersive, sure, but there's something special about a good fixed camera angle that lets you see just enough (or not enough) to keep you on edge.

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